Solar panels are frequently used to recharge batteries that power lights at night. Solar powered lights can be observed on walkways (U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,984), mail boxes (U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,766), light poles (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,060,658, 5,149,188, 4,281,369 and 4,200,904), construction lights (U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,017), or even mounted under the eaves of a building as a security light (U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,296). Interest in solar powered lighting has been fueled by recent advances in white LED technology because the power consumption is lower for the same light output, but the use of LED's has increased the expected light output more than it has decreased the size of the solar panels. Unfortunately, larger solar panels used with bright LED lights are frequently targeted by vandals or thieves because the solar panels are easy to spot and are usually located somewhere that is relatively remote, not to mention that the solar panels are expensive. Additionally, very few people find a large, flat solar panel that is tilted towards the sun to be aesthetically pleasing.
An important example of an unmet need for lighting is the area surrounding a cluster box unit (CBU). It is not at all uncommon for there to be no power available for lighting these public areas which are visited by many people every evening when they collect their mail. The housing developers failed to run any sort of community power to these CBUs, and it is difficult to persuade the local government to add a street light over one of these public areas, despite the significant safety concerns. Even though solar powered lighting seems like a clear alternative to address these needs, the prior art has not satisfactorily provided a good choice for those consumers that want an attractive lighting assembly that is not likely to be stolen, and that requires very little maintenance. There is a clear need for an affordable and easy to install solar powered light assembly for areas that are either remote or otherwise are difficult to power.